Chemical Business Newsbase articles from February 2001, page 5

Chemical Business Newsbase archives from February 2001

FARBE UND LACK: Dyrup with new corporate identity.
February 13, 2001... Danish Dyrup Group manufactures and distributes paints, coatings and varnishes in Europe and more than 25 countries worldwide. The group started 2001 with a new corporate identity and all regional companies now operate under the name...

FARBE UND LACK: Adler invests in R&D premises.
February 13, 2001... Austrian paints and coatings manufacturer Adlerwerk in Schwaz almost completed the expansion of research and development (R&D) capacities. The company invested EUR 6.54 M in the rapid expansion of the water-soluble coatings sector. ...

FARBE UND LACK: Becker acquires majority shareholding in Italian powder coatings manufacturer.
February 13, 2001... Becker Powder Coatings (powder coatings division of Swedish A B Wilh Becker) will acquire a 70% stake in Italian powder coatings manufacturer Progetto Due SpA in L'Aquila, Bazzano. The latter manufactures heat-curing powder coatings since...

FARBE UND LACK: Poland. Becker's subsidiary acquires powder coatings manufacture from Alcro-Becker's subsidiary.
February 13, 2001... The technical functions of the powder coatings segment, including production by Polish company Polifarb Becker Debica SA (PBD) became the property of Becker Farby Proszkowe Spzoo (BFP) on 28 Dec 2000. Prior to this PBD used to manufacture...

FARBE UND LACK: The Netherlands. Growing exports promote stagnating domestic turnover.
February 13, 2001... The Dutch paints and coatings market is small and comprehensible but not insignificant. Dutch paints and coatings manufacturers achieved an average rise in production of 1.5% in 1999. The domestic market stagnated (attributed to new...

FARBE UND LACK: Maintenance. Rust-Oleum aims to develop the German market.
February 13, 2001... Dutch coatings manufacturer Rust-Oleum will target the German market during the next few years. The company manufactures paints for industrial maintenance and aims to offer products to wholesalers. Rust-Oleum's products are already...

FARBE UND LACK: Poland. Hesse cooperates with Polifarb Cieszyn Wroclaw.
February 13, 2001... German wood coatings specialist Hesse formed a licence agreement with Polish market leader Polifarb. A long-term and successful partnership with Polish company Grafikus in Warsaw has been discontinued on 31 Dec 2000. Hesse will...

FARBE UND LACK: Soil contamination. Clean-up of former Lava production site will be expensive.
February 13, 2001... Former South German coatings manufacturer Lava Lackfabrik in Weilimdorf is reported to be swimming on a cocktail of hazardous substances. Soil samples revealed contamination of up to 98 M micrograms of toluene and benzene per cubic metre...

FARBE UND LACK: Powder coatings. Results by IGP above market average.
February 13, 2001... Swiss company IGP Pulvertechnik AG achieved a 9.4% rise in sales to 6400 tonnes/y in 2000 due to positive economic framework conditions and therefore clearly exceeded the market average in Europe. Turnover rose accordingly to SFR 54 M....

FARBE UND LACK: Adhesives. Varied results for Uzin Utz in 2000.
February 13, 2001... German adhesives manufacturer Uzin Utz AG in Ulm recorded varied results in 2000. Exports rose 10% but domestic sales only rose marginally due to the weak building economy. Uzin achieved a turnover of EUR 97.4 M and a profit of EUR...

FARBE UND LACK: Surge in turnover for Tesa in 2000.
February 13, 2001... Tesa, the adhesives division of German Beiersdorf AG, achieved positive results after several years of a slump in turnover. Sales increased 6.4% to EUR 668 M in 2000 and return on turnover is anticipated at above 4%. Beiersdorf plans...

FARBE UND LACK: Building chemicals. Favourable results for Ceresit in a weak market.
February 13, 2001... The building chemical industry in Germany recorded a double-digit drop in turnover. Ceresit Bautechnik, of Henkel Bautechnik GmbH, reported a satisfactory result for 2000 but failed to achieve anticipated turnover increases. However...

FARBE UND LACK: Bostik and Ato Findley merge in Germany.
February 13, 2001... German companies Bostik GmbH in Borgholzhausen and Ato Findley Deutschland GmbH in Offenbach will merge in the framework of the merger by its parent companies Totalfina and Elf Atochem. The new company will operate under the name Bostik...

FARBE UND LACK: Upturn for Brazilian paints and coatings industry.
February 13, 2001... The paint and coatings market in Brazil started to recover before the end of 1999. Market analysts predicted a rise in turnover by 10%/y for 2000 and beyond. There are 320 manufacturers of paints and coatings in Brazil; around 10%...

FARBE UND LACK: Demand for building chemicals in the US 1994-2004. [1 table].
February 13, 2001... A table sections demand for building chemicals in the US for 1994, 1999 and 2004 (estimated). Total demand amounted to $4.14 bn in 1994, increased to $5.87 bn in 1999 and is forecast at $7.78 bn for 2004. Average growth rates between...

FARBE UND LACK: Algeria. State-owned coatings manufacturer is market leader.
February 13, 2001... NEAP, the largest coatings manufacturer in Algeria, estimates the domestic paints and coatings market at 125,000 tonnes/y. Building paints (anticipated growth rate of 3-4%/y) account for around 80% of this figure. State-owned NEAP...

FARBE UND LACK: Caparol relaxes competition.
February 13, 2001... DAW reports that its German subsidiary Caparol decided to put the partnership with its large wholesale customers on a new footing. The measure aims to relax the competition with Caparol paints among the partners, as this kind of...

FARBE UND LACK: DLH acquires shareholding.
February 13, 2001... German printing inks manufacturer DLH in Halle has been partially acquired by Great World Ink & Paint Co in Taiwan in Jan 2001. DLH which manufactures printing inks for the graphics industry changed its name to Printing Ink Technology AG...

FARBE UND LACK: Haering acquires Edelputz.
February 13, 2001... German company Haering in Unterheinriet manufactures building paints and industrial coatings. The company and its partners acquired the production facility of Edelputz GmbH in Ottersweier in the Black Forest region of Germany. The...

FARBE UND LACK: Higher production of specialty chemicals in the US.
February 13, 2001... The American Chemistry Council announced that the value of output by specialty chemicals manufacturers (including adhesives, coatings and sealants) increased 6.8% to $105.5 bn in 2000. Original text in GERMAN

FARBE UND LACK: German production and sales of paints and coatings in 3Q 2000. [1 table].
February 13, 2001... A detailed table lists production and sales figures for paints and coatings in Germany in 3Q 1999 and 3Q 2000 with the number of manufacturers. Products covered include water-based paints and coatings, polymer-based paints and coatings,...

FARBE UND LACK: Japan. Dai Nippon Toryo merges with Tanabe.
February 13, 2001... Dai Nippon Toryo, the third-largest paints and coatings manufacturer in Japan, plans to merge with Tanabe Chemical Industry. The merger will become official after contracts have been signed in Mar 2001 and a subsequent general meeting in...

FARBE UND LACK: Safety through fluorescence.
February 13, 2001... Japanese lustre pigments and inorganic phosphorus manufacturer Nemoto & Co is developing a new type of specialty lustre pigment. Properties include lower sheen than in normal lustre pigments and a persisting afterglow. The...

FARBE UND LACK: Hardeners for aqueous coating systems.
February 13, 2001... Japanese coatings manufacturer Nippon Paint Co Ltd in Osaka is developing a new hardener for aqueous coating systems. Until now aqueous coatings had the disadvantages of inferior processability, slower drying times and weaker resistance...

FARBE UND LACK: Ilkalem Ticaret seeks foreign partnership.
February 13, 2001... Turkish company Ilkalem Ticaret ve Sanayi AS in Istanbul is seeking a joint venture partnership with a German chemicals company. The company manufactures unsaturated polyester resins, pigment pastes for polyester resins; vinylacetate...

FARBE UND LACK: Vietnam. Domestic manufacturers are leading in a prosperous market.
February 13, 2001... The current building boom in Vietnam is haing a positive effect on domestic paints and coatings manufacturers. Demand is high and the market is offering a large variety of products. Foreign manufacturers try to conquer the market but...

FARBE UND LACK: German chemical industry remains optimistic for 2001.
February 13, 2001... The chemical industry in Germany remains optimistic for 2001 despite some economic difficulties in global markets. The German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) predicts that this market will grow around 3% in 2001. Average...

FARBE UND LACK: Pigments. High capacity utilisation, but unsatisfactory profits.
February 13, 2001... German manufacturers of organic pigments achieved a high capacity utilisation in 2000, but sales failed to meet costs in some segments, according to the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI). Profits remained unsatisfactory overall....

FARBE UND LACK: Rectification: Tego acquires additives from Lucas Meyer.
February 13, 2001... This article rectifies a mistake in the previous issue of Farbe + Lack published in Jan 2001. German additives manufacturer Tego in Essen will acquire the activities of the technical additives segment of Lucas Meyer. These additives...

FARBE UND LACK: Polyurethane coatings. Bayer plans to invest $110 M in Shanghai.
February 13, 2001... German company Bayer will invest $110 M in the production of polyurethane coatings raw materials in the People's Republic of China. The company plans to establish new production facilities in Greater Shanghai to strengthen its position...

FARBE UND LACK: BASF Antwerpen acquires Sisas facility in Belgium.
February 13, 2001... BASF Antwerpen acquired the activities of Italian Sisas-Group at the facility in Feluy (Belgium). This plant manufactures phthalic anhydride, softening agents; maleic anhydride, biodiesel, butanediol and its derivates. Total phthalic...

FARBE UND LACK: Ciba Spezialitaetenchemie increases stake in joint venture.
February 13, 2001... Swiss Ciba Spezialitaetenchemie increased its shareholding in the Japanese joint venture Musashino Geigy to 60% on 1 Jan 2001. The joint venture in Tokyo is operated together with Musashino Chemical Laboratory. Musashino Geigy is the...

FARBE UND LACK: Kerr-McGee increases investments.
February 13, 2001... US company Kerr-McGee plans to increase investments by 60% to a record $1.24 bn in 2001. Around $200 M of this figure is earmarked for the chemicals segment, including the titanium dioxide activities. Original text in GERMAN

FARBE UND LACK: Moderate turnover increase for Mineral Technologies in 2000.
February 13, 2001... US company Mineral Technologies, a manufacturer of filling materials, achieved a 1% rise in turnover to $670.9 M in 2000. However net profits decreased 13% to $54.2 M. Original text in GERMAN

FARBE UND LACK: Eastman expands engagement in China.
February 13, 2001... US company Eastman Chemical and Chinese company Sinopec Qilu Petrochemical Corp signed a letter of intent for the construction of a production facility for Texanol alcohol esters and their derivatives. Investments will focus on Zibo in...

FARBE UND LACK: Additives. Muenzing Chemie reorganises distribution.
February 13, 2001... German Muenzing Group acquired US specialty chemicals manufacturer Ultra Additives in May 2000, now fully integrated. Muenzing Chemie started to distribute Ultra's products on 1 Jan 2001. The restructuring affected additives for the...

FARBE UND LACK: Avecia invests in capacity expansion.
February 13, 2001... Additives manufacturer Avecia plans to invest GBP2.5 M in its production facility in Huddersfield (UK). Investments will focus on the installation of a new reactor unit to increase additives production capacity by 30%. At the same...

FARBE UND LACK: E-commerce. Portum exceeds predicted trade volume.
February 13, 2001... The Internet auctions specialist Portum achieved a turnover of EUR 560 M in 2000. The initial turnover target amounted to around EUR 100 M for this period. The company's 500 auctions saved up to EUR 90 M. Portum considers itself...

FARBE UND LACK: Sun Chemical Corp restructures PCL.
February 13, 2001... US pigments manufacturer Sun Chemical Corp plans to increase its active involvement in the management of PCL Group in Cincinnati. Sun Chemical acquired a financial shareholding in the company a few years ago. PCL Group manufactures...

FARBE UND LACK: Binding agents. Mitsubishi Rayon and Akzo Nobel Resins form alliance.
February 13, 2001... Japanese company Mitsubishi Rayon and Akzo Nobel Resins formed a strategic alliance for high grade coatings resins and printing ink resins. The companies aim to combine their strength in this segment. The companies consider the...

FARBE UND LACK: Fire at Ultra Additives.
February 13, 2001... Ultra Additives lost its production facility during a fire in the factory in Patterson, NJ in the US at the beginning of 2001. Nobody was injured during the accident. Production has now been relocated to a different facility in...

FARBE UND LACK: US Bronze Powders with new technical centre.
February 13, 2001... Metallic pigments specialist US Bronze Powders inaugurated a new technical centre in Haskell, NJ in the US. The centre will concentrate on development of innovative products and optimisation of application processes. Original text in...

PHARMA JAPAN: 2000 drug market overview.
February 13, 2001... Estimated growth in the Japanese pharmaceutical market in 2000 is 3.5%, with higher sales of new products accounting for 1.5%. A higher number of these have been developed by domestic companies. As a percentage of overall expenditure...

PHARMA JAPAN: Takeda to carry out reform with global standard: President Takeda.
February 13, 2001... The next five-year plan to be implemented by Takeda Chemical Industries will run until 2005. By this time, the company aims to be a worldwide company, based in Japan, with a strong orientation towards research. Management...

PHARMA JAPAN: Olympus Optical, Mitsui Knowledge Industry form new research and development company.
February 13, 2001... NovusGene is to be established on 1 Mar 2001 as a joint venture between Olympus Optical and Mitsui Knowledge Industry for the provision of gene analysis services. DNA probes and primer DNA are to be designed for analysis of single...

PHARMA JAPAN: Quintiles opens Japan International Desk in the US.
February 13, 2001... A Japan International Desk has been established in the US by Quintiles Transnational Corp, NC. International pharmaceutical companies that are seeking to expand their operations in Japan will be given assistance. All of the services...

PHARMA JAPAN: Astem ties up with Kishiya in Fukuoka.
February 13, 2001... On 18 Jan 2001, an agreement for the sharing of distribution arrangements and joint stocking of products was signed by Astem Inc, Kyushu, and Kishiya, Fukuoka. Both companies are wholesalers, with Astem selling drugs and Kishiya selling...

PHARMA JAPAN: Japan: NHI prices of 12 new ingredients including Tamiflu, Relenza approved. [1 table].
February 13, 2001... On 24 Jan 2001, 21 products were granted NHI listing by Chuikyo, Japan. These represent 12 active ingredients. On 2 Feb 2001, the official prices will be listed in the official gazette. The proposed prices were finalised on 9...

PHARMA JAPAN: Japan: peak sales of five new drugs expected to exceed Yen 10 bn: Chuikyo. [1 table].
February 13, 2001... On 24 Jan 2001, Chuikyo approved the NHI prices of several new drugs. Within five years of its launch, sales of Allelock (olopatadine), an antiallergic from Kyowa Hakko, are expected to reach Yen 16.0 bn/y). Within six years of its...

PHARMA JAPAN: Chuikyo members point out problems with NHI price setting rules.
February 13, 2001... The Drug Pricing Organization, Japan, presented its proposals for NHI prices of new drugs to Chuikyo on 24 Jan 2001. Problems with the current pricing structure were put forward, including the need to adjust prices in comparison with...

PHARMA JAPAN: Japan: PMSB issues notification of revision of reproductive toxicity test guidelines.
February 13, 2001... Timing of Nonclinical Safety Studies for Clinical Trials on Drugs, and Toxicity of Reproduction for Medicinal Products are guidelines which have been granted final approval by the ICH, Japan. Notification has been given by the Licensing...

PHARMA JAPAN: Kirin obtains rights to Cerus's allogeneic cellular immune therapy technology.
February 13, 2001... Exclusive rights to the use, development and manufacture of Helinx technology have been granted to Kirin Brewery by Cerus Corp, US. The agreement covers 23 countries. Helinx is allogeneic cellular immune therapy technology. By...

PHARMA JAPAN: Kissei, Teikoku Hormone to codevelop threatened premature delivery treatment.
February 13, 2001... Codevelopment of Kissei Pharmaceutical's KUR-1246 treatment for threatened premature delivery is to be carried out with Teikoku Hormone Manufacturing under an agreement finalised on 22 Jan 2001. The two partners will also undertake joint...

PHARMA JAPAN: Foundation for biomedical research and innovation ties up with Quintiles.
February 13, 2001... In Mar 2000, the Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation was established in Kobe, Japan. On 11 Jan 2001, an agreement was announced under which joint research and development and clinical trials are to be conducted on...

PHARMA JAPAN: Kobayashi Pharmaceutical acquires Whitehall Japan Corp.
February 13, 2001... As part of its plans to expand its household products range, on 19 Jan 2001, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical acquired Whitehall Japan Corp, a subsidiary of American Home Products Corp. AH Robins International will transfer all outstanding shares...

PHARMA JAPAN: Japan: healthcare spending increases despite drop in consumer spending.
February 13, 2001... The average spending on healthcare by a Japanese household comprising a minimum of two members was Yen 11,417 /month, according to the 1999 national consumption survey conducted by the Statistics Bureau of the Management and Coordination...

PHARMA JAPAN: Boston Scientific Japan: new balloon catheters for PTCA.
February 13, 2001... PTCA Quantum Monorail is a new balloon catheter made by Quantum Leap nylon by Boston Scientific Japan. It was commercialised on 23 Jan 2001. The new catheter can be used by one surgeon on their own and is more cost-effective than...

PHARMA JAPAN: AstraZeneca transfers dental anaesthetics to Dentsply.
February 13, 2001... Dentsply International Inc is to pay $136.5 M for the dental local anaesthetics operations of AstraZeneca PLC. The products involved include Xylocaine (lidocaine), Citanest (propitocaine HCl + epinephrine bitartrate) and...

CHEMISCH2WEEKBLAD: Dutch chemical industry turnover up in 2000.
February 13, 2001... According to the Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS) in the Netherlands the country's chemical and crude oil industries increased their turnover by 33% in 2000. This was mainly due to the strength of the dollar and high oil prices. ...

CHEMISCH2WEEKBLAD: Life Science Incubator for Groningen.
February 13, 2001... Groningen, Netherlands, is to get a Life Science Incubator, for which the Dutch government will make available HFL 5 M. This will support startup companies in the area of biotechnology and biomedical research and is one of 5 such...

CHEMISCH2WEEKBLAD: DSM increases Dyneema capacity.
February 13, 2001... DSM is to commission a new Dyneema production line at Heerlen, Netherlands, in 2001. This will increase the plant's capacity for the superstrong polyethylene fibre to 600 tonne/y. DSM will also boost its Dyneema UD production by...

CHEMISCH2WEEKBLAD: Drenthe province wants an end to chlorine transportation.
February 13, 2001... The province of Drenthe in the Netherlands wants Akzo Nobel's transportation of chlorine through its territory to be eventually ended. The stretch of rail at Hengelo was recently checked for loose or corroded bolts by SP in collaboration...

CHEMISCH2WEEKBLAD: Chlorine a consideration for future magnesium unit at Delfzijl.
February 13, 2001... The Dutch Environmental Affairs minister will only grant approval for a new magnesium plant at Delfzijl, Netherlands, if this does not involve any increase in the chlorine surplus at this location. As magnesium production involves the...

CHEMISCH2WEEKBLAD: Avebe will seek merger.
February 13, 2001... Avebe, Netherlands, plans to seek merger with an overseas company in order to achieve the economy of scale that will enable it to survive when its European subsidies run out. With a workforce of 2900 and a turnover of HFL 1.7 bn the...

HANDELSBLATT WIRTSCHAFTS-UND FINANZZEITUNG: K+S buys speciality fertilizer producer.
February 13, 2001... K+S AG is expanding the business of its Compo subsidiary, which was acquired last year. With the acquisition of French speciality fertilizer producer Algoflash, turnover in this division will rise around DM 50 M from the current DM 350...

HANDELSBLATT WIRTSCHAFTS-UND FINANZZEITUNG: East man Chemical splitting into two companies.
February 13, 2001... Eastman Chemical Co is to split into two independent, stock exchange-listed companies, thus increasing shareholder value. The acetate fibres and PET plastics division will be spun off. Eastman is world leader here with sales of around...

HANDELSBLATT WIRTSCHAFTS-UND FINANZZEITUNG: Tesa not to be listed on stock exchange before 2003.
February 13, 2001... Beiersdorf's adhesives division (known as Tesa) is to become independent on 1 Apr 2001 under the name Tesa AG. But a listing on the stock exchange is not planned before 2003. Operating margins are to be increased from 4.7% to 10% by...

HANDELSBLATT WIRTSCHAFTS-UND FINANZZEITUNG: US stock exchange puts double the value on biotech profits as on drug profits.
February 13, 2001... The leading US biopharmaceutical companies have consolidated their strong form with big rises in sales and profits. The big biotech companies in the US are valued on average at 60 times last-year's profits. This is twice as high as...

HANDELSBLATT WIRTSCHAFTS-UND FINANZZEITUNG: Dow Chemical can acquired Union Carbide.
February 13, 2001... The US cartel authority, the FTC, has approved Dow Chemical's acquisition of Union Carbide. The merger will result in a world leader in chemicals with pro forma sales of $28.4 bn and net profits of $1.68 bn. The transaction has a...

FOOD CHEMICAL NEWS: Canadian scientists see no dioxin problems in farm-raised salmon.
February 13, 2001... A BBC documentary, alleging that salmon farmed in Scotland may be contaminated with dangerous levels of industrial chemicals, such as dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls, has been criticized by Canadian scientists. The allegation, that...

FOOD CHEMICAL NEWS: ConsumerLab.com says two supplement products exceed new UL for manganese.
February 13, 2001... ConsumerLab.com has claimed that two supplement products containing glucosamine and chondroitin, used for relieving arthritis, exceed the new tolerable upper intake level (UL) for manganese. Nutramax Laboratories Inc's Cosamin DS contains...

THE HINDU: Kopran ties up with E Merck.
February 13, 2001... Kopran has entered into an agreement with E Merck for co-marketing the new anti-inflammatory/analgesic drug Rofecoxib in the Indian market. The move will help Kopran to increase its presence in the formulations market. Kopran has...

THE HINDU: New products: Asia Versapak introduces carburettor cleaner.
February 13, 2001... Asia Versapak of Singapore has launched carb cleaner manufactured under the licence from the US based Universal Chemical Union International. The new product removes sludge, grease, dirt, carbon, gum etc deposited on the moving and...

THE HINDU: Rating Watch: BASF, Cynamid ratings reafffirmed.
February 13, 2001... The Rup 200 M non-convertible debenture instruments and Rup 100 M fixed deposit programme of BASF India has been reaffirmed AAA rating by the Credit Rating Information Services of India (Crisil). Crisil has also reaffirmed P1 plus rating...

THE INDEPENDENT: Gold industry in $20 M campaign to restore precious metal's lost sparkle.
February 13, 2001... The gold industry plans to go on the offensive this week with a marketing campaign to convince consumers that gold, not diamonds, is a girl's best friend. The World Gold Council is expected to announce that it will launch a $20 M...

FEDERAL REGISTER: Approval of oral dosage form new animal drugs; pyrantel pamoate chewable tablets.
February 13, 2001... The US Food and Drug Administration is amending the animal drug regulations to reflect approval of an abbreviated new animal drug application (ANADA) filed by Blue Ridge Pharmaceuticals Inc. The ANADA provides for use of pyrantel pamoate...

JAPAN CHEMICAL WEEK: Mitsui and Co Ltd: contribution to Mitsui Chemicals/Sumitomo Chemical tops agenda for 2001.
February 8, 2001... Mitsui will initiate a 3-year business plan, starting in Apr 2001. It will focus on dealing with Japan's strict new accounting regulations and on maximising its consolidated earnings. The company's chemical business will concentrate...

JAPAN CHEMICAL WEEK: Mitsubishi Corp: upholding investment in speciality chemicals embracing fluorine- based intermediates.
February 8, 2001... Mitsubishi Corp had almost completed the sale of Sunoco and Aristech Chemical of the US by end 2000. Investments in speciality chemicals will be maintained. The company will actively promote middle-scale projects in drug and...

JAPAN CHEMICAL WEEK: Itochu Corp: further strengthening speciality areas in chemical business.
February 8, 2001... Itochu's immediate plans are to reinforce group management via the collective resources of its subsidiaries and affiliates, expand and strengthen retail and speciality businesses, and invest upfront in new technologies including...

JAPAN CHEMICAL WEEK: Marubeni Corp: restructuring completed, switching to aggressive management.
February 8, 2001... The vice president of Marubeni Corp, Masaru Mizuno, gives his predictions for 2001. Although there are concerns about the US economy, there is more optimism about the Japanese market. Exports from the domestic petrochemical industry...

JAPAN CHEMICAL WEEK: Sumitomo Corp: traders need to strengthen competitiveness of their products.
February 8, 2001... Sumitomo expects dramatic changes in the Japanese chemical industry during 2000- 2005 due to expansion of petrochemical production in the neighbouring countries and Japanese tariff reductions in 2004. Chinese involvement in the WTO and...

JAPAN CHEMICAL WEEK: Tomen Corp: taking steps toward building up agrochemical business.
February 8, 2001... The vice president of Tomen Corp, Yoshiaki Ueki, gives his predictions for 2001. Tomen's styrene joint venture, Styrindo Mono Indonesia, continues to contribute to Tomen's finances. Tomen Agro, the US agrochemical distributor, has...

JAPAN CHEMICAL WEEK: Nissho Iwai Corp: putting 'company system' on right track, focusing on electronics materials.
February 8, 2001... The executive officer of Nissho Iwai, Hiroshi Hamano, gives his predictions for 2001. The company is proceeding with its 'Mid-term management plan - 2002'. Construction of the Tuban petrochemical complex in East Java has been...

JAPAN CHEMICAL WEEK: Nichimen Corp: the biggest challenge, interchange of assets including M&A.
February 8, 2001... The senior managing director of Nichimen Corp, Atsumi Shirai, gives his predictions for 2001. The company will launch a two-year, mid-term plan in spring 2001 that aims to maximise profitability via restructuring. Priority areas...